Looking to grow your organization? If so, a key question is this: Where are all of the “new” zipcodes? The ones that live in different sectors and geographies? The ones who come from different cultural backgrounds and different generations? The first-time bums in seats?
One thing is for sure: these completely new prospects are not in one place: your social network.
As marketers become more comfortable with Social Media, it is too easy to forget Social’s fundamental flaw: people in your network are like you. They found their way to you using a well-known path. They spend time with people like you. And they refer people like themselves to you They are comfortable with you, and you are comfortable with them.
Finding new zip codes means going beyond this comfort zone. It also means going back to traditional marketing first principles: Who are your targets, where are they found, and what are their needs? Too often these are forgotten, replaced by the shiny allure of social targeting: Who do you know, and who do they know? Yes, answering these latter questions does result in growth, but only of one type: people who are like me. Successful marketers don’t limit themselves: they realize that target clients can be found well beyond this narrow group.
This week’s action plan: Most organizations ask either one set of questions or the other. This week, answer both.
This post has been written by 108’s Senior Advisor and former CEO Randall Craig.
